Book ~ "Understanding Color in Photography: Using Color, Composition, and Exposure to Create Vivid Photos" (2017) Bryan F. Peterson and Susana Heide Schellenberg

From Goodreads ~ Veteran photographer and instructor Bryan Peterson is best known for his arresting imagery using bold, graphic color and composition. 

Here he explores his signature use of color in photography for the first time, showing readers his process for creating striking images that pop off the page. He addresses how to shoot in any type of light and looks at color families and how they can work together to make compelling images in commercial and art photography. 

He also helps readers understand exposure, flash, and other stumbling blocks that beginning and experienced photographers encounter when capturing images, showing how to get the most out of any composition. 

With its down-to-earth voice and casual teaching style, "Understanding Color in Photography" is a workshop in a book, helping any photographer take their images to the next level. 

I take a lot of pictures and have done a few photography courses and workshops, though I'm still quite an amateur.  I like reading books about photography so I can learn more, get ideas and see things through the eyes of a professional.

This book focuses on understanding colour and the chapters are:

1. Introduction
2. Light, exposure and colour - light and the science of colour, exposure and colour, and white balance and colour temperature
3. Colour and composition - using colour for high-impact images, the colour wheel, complementary colours, using colour as a seamless background, using motion and more
4. Color and mood - the psychology of colour, red, orange, yellow, etc.
5. Using tools to enhance colour - filters and Photoshop

Though some of the stuff in the book went over my head, for the most part I found it interesting.  I liked that there were lots of vibrant colour pictures and the descriptions (shutter speed, aperture, etc.) were under them.

I shoot pictures in "P" mode and the only thing I change is the exposure compensation ... I tend to have it at -3 or -7 which is something the author also recommends.  He also suggests having the white balance set on "sunny" or "daylight" whenever you are outside (I tend to leave it on auto).

I liked the chapters on the colours ... in the "red" one, for example, there were lots of pictures that had red in them which emphasized how it stood out.  The author mentioned in the "green" chapter that he didn't have a lot of "green" pictures in his portfolio ... I was in High Park yesterday and saw and was inspired to take lots of pictures that would have fit in that chapter.